Aerial display apparatus



March 18, 1952 E. T. BELMONT AERIAL DISPLAY APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1947 March 18, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. l9, 1947 I March 18, 1952 E. T. BELMONT 2,589,472

AERIAL DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I r- I 32 FORWARD '6 FORWARD w STOP REVERSE @15 4 Q REVERSE March 18, 1952 E. T. BELMONT 2,589,472

AERIAL DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1947 -4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3;. 2 27/ J'QQJE S I v /S FORWARD '55 0 FORWARD REVERSE 74 J6 REVERSE 67 STOP 822:: 7. W1; y/ W M Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES 2,589,472

earlier.DISPLAYermim'rui-s Elliott ne mont nositn Application February 19, 194 7,= 'sria1 No. 72935- 1 cla m. (mi itant! v This inventionrelates to aerial display 3);?!- pa-ratus and it has fori-tsobject to provide an apparatus of the class: referred to, capable; of beingused for advertisingv and other purposes and which will be attractive and interesting to observers on the ground. v

To this end I have provided an aerostatic structure provided' with a rigid frame equipped with a plurality ofbuoyant balloons fixed thereto m a manner to delineate a predetermined design and by which the structure is supported in the; air. The frameis also preferably equipped wlth a pltii ality of electric lamps upon its under side which are arranged" inone or more electric circuits bywhich said lamps areconnccted with a source ofcurrentthat is preferably disposed upon the ground, said structurebeing anchored to the latterby means of one or more guycables. The lamps are preferablyalso arranged to de; linea'tesaiddesign which, for example, may be an advertisement. and means is preferably provided through which thestructurje' may; be controlled from the, ground thereby to effect rocking movement thereof so that the design may be seen throughout a greater territorythan would be the case when its position is stabilized.

Other features of' the invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 isa bottom plan view of the aero static structure; i v

Figure 2 is a side viewof the structure shown in Figure,1

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail, partly in sec tion on line 3-3 at the left hand end of Figtire 1.

Figure 4 is an explanatoryview' hereinafter described.

Figure 5 is a partial section on line 5 -5 of Figures 2- .and 6.

Figure '6; is a section on line 676. of Figure, 5. .Eigure. 7: is a view like Fi l re 5.,but showing p 8thereofiinhdifferent positions...

.. .Eieur 81sa...d a am o th cir ui sand can:

trolsrcr the valve-operating motor hereinafterdesc bed.- his 1 e 9.15184QiE'Ed121 of. the circuits. and, c

' mo e-to he p m -opera n mo or e ina t r described .1. s at .emb. q me sesa ram made-Iron li t; a and;..th-. rame... include .40 relatively parallel spacedapart and oppp ely; sp sedsle secti ns .0...an d. V 1, wo. transver oblinuelrd sgesed sec ions. [2; and. t with. which; r

theoppositeends of" a fifth tubular section [4? are connected; the three sect-ionsv t2; l3. and I4 being disposed so as to form the capital letter A. 'Ijhe opposite ends of the sections l2 and 1 3.are con nected and communicate interiorly. with section [0 and section II, respectively, while the. opposite ends of the section M are connected with and communicateinteriorly with the Sections [.2 and I3, respectively. t I

The sections 12 and [3 are made interiorly with partitions 15 such as. that shown in Fi 33; said partitions being indicated by dotted lines. in i 1.- v.

intermediate its. ends section I!) is. constructed interiorly with a partition [6 and between this partition and section I 3 one end ofa relatively perpendicular tubing section'l I is connected with the latter that isin the same plane with sec-1- tionsJZand I 3.. The opposite. end of section I! is closed. a

Section II is. provided interierly with a partition [8 thatifs disposed directlyopposite the-par tition .16v of section l0 and between this partition L8 and Section I3 is connected one end ofa tubular section I 9 which communicates with the interior of section I I at apoint between partition 18 and section l3. Section ['9 is, disposed in axial alinement with section I] so that. said two sec-- tions are capable of being employed to represent the capital letter I. Section [9, like section H, is

closed at its innerend.

.. Another straight tubular section .29 extends.

perpendicularly from section! to section I l; and intermediate its opposite ends thissection 20 is provid nte i ly with. a pa i n 2 A curved tubul e ti 22 s. c nnec t n en withsection 20 between partition 2| and section 40 and at. its opposite end, with the latter. An qbli uel sp ed, t bu ar: sect 1 conn cted at its one end with the curved section 22 and at itsop end th sec on T hree e r t o s 22 and..2;. to et erw h a. ort o of section Hl,. are associated for use in gorming; the capital letter R. Adjacent; to its jnnction with the curved section 22, the obliquesecticn Z3 is made. interio ily with a partition that is indie dby do t d line -a 2.4.1. L.

Q. re at vely; ara elt bular qenduit sec:

:1 1 15 and ltqqnnqt sect ons t anctl each the interior of section II at opposite sides of partition l8.

At 29, Figs. 1, 5, 6 and '7, is the body of a valve, said body being made with four ports 30, 3|, 32 and 33, Figs. 5 and 7. The port is connected by a branch conduit 34 with the interior of pipe section 25 at a point between partition 21 and conduit II; the port 3| is connected by a branch conduit with the interior of pipe section 26 at a point between partition 28 and pipe section the port 32 is connected by a branch conduit 36 with the interior of pipe sections 25 between partition 28 and pipe section l0, and the port 33 is connected by a branch conduit 31 with the interior of pipe section 25 between partition 21 and pipe section Hi. The branch conduits 34,- 35, 3Band 31, together with pipe sections H and I9,

6 and 7) that is rotatably connected withbody 29 by a stem 39 equipped at its lower' end' with anut. The ports 33, 3|, 32 and 33 of valve body 29 are spaced-apart angularly 90 and all of them are at the samedistance from the axis of the valve member 38'which is made with two arcuate ports 39 and 40 (Fig. '7) disposed'diametrically opposite each other, each of. which t is 90 in length. The arcuate ports 39 and are connected by conduit arms 4| and 42, respectively (Fig. 6) each with one. of the two ports provided through the casing of a reversible rotary pump 43 (Figs. 5 and 6) that is mounted upon the top of valve member 38. The shaft 44, Fig. 6, of one of the two rotors of pump 43 extends to the exterior of the casing of the pump and is connected with the armature shaft of a reversible motor 45, Fig; 5, fastened in position upon the top of valve member 38. Upon its top side the valve member 38 is made adjacent to its periphery'with an arcuate rack of gear teeth 45 that is slightly more than 90 in length and this rack is engaged by a pinion 41 fast on the armature shaft of a reversible motor 48"that is fixed in position upon the pipe section '25. Also, the valve member 38 is made upon its periphery with two earns 49 and (Fig. 5) which cooperate, respectively, with make and break stop switches 5| and 52 fixed in'p'ositi'on' upon pipe sections l1 and I9, respectively. These-two stop switches are arranged in circuit with. motor 43 as shown in Fig. 8, together "with forward and reverse switches 53 and 54.

' -Norm'ally one of the switches 5| or 52 is held open-by one of the cams 49 or 55 while the other switch is closed, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. Therefore, when the circuit of motor '43. including the closed switch 5| or 52, is also closed at the switch instruments 5354, the motor 48 acts through its pinion 4'! to rotate valve member 38 to the extent of 95 whereupon the closed switch 5| or 52 will be opened by one of the cams of valve 38 thereby stopping motor 43. v Thus, operation of the push-button 53 while stop switch 5| is closed as in Fig. 7:, will result n rotation of valve member 38 to the extent of 90 in one direction while operation of push-button switch 54 while switch 52 is closed as in Fig. 5, will cause motor 48 to rotatevalve member 38 to the extent of 90 in the opposite direction.

When valve member 38 occupies *a position at the limit of its rotary movement in one direction as in Fig.5, the arcuate port 39 thereof connects the two branch conduits 34 and 31 withoneport of pump 43, while arcuate port 40 connects the two branch conduits 35 and 33 with the opposite port of pump 43. When valve member 38 oocupies a position at the limit of its rotary movement inthe opposite direction, as in Fig. '7, the arcuate port 39 thereof connects the two branch conduits 35 and 3? with one port of pump 43, while the arcuate port 40 connects the two branch conduits 34 and 35 with the opposite port of pump 43.

While the valve member 38 occupies the position shown in Fig. 5 switch 5| is held open by cam 49 and switch 52 is closed, but when said valve member occupies the position shown in Fig. '7

switch 52 is held open by its cam 50 while switch 5| is closed. I During the movement of valve member 38 from support the valve body 29 and the latter is prothe position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in vided at its top with a fiat face upon which is Fig. 5," switch 5| remains closed until at the completion of that movement the cam 49 opens the switch 5| andstups motor-48. So also during the movement of valve member 38 from-the position-shownin Fig-5 tothe position shown in Fig. '7 the circuit of motor 43 remains closed at the switch 52 untilthe valve member completes such movement whereupon the cam 5!) opens the switch 52 and stops motor 48.

The pump. motor 45 is caused to operate in one direction by'closing a push-button switch 55 and in the reverse direction by closing a push-button switch-55 both of which are in circuit with motor 45 was is also a stop switch 51. It will therefore be clear thatwhen switch 55 is-operated while the .valvemember 38 occupies the position shown in Fig. 5, the pump 43 will be driven in one direction and the contents of pipe section 23 at oppo-, site sides of the partition 28, will be pumped from pipe section 26 and delivered into pipe section 25 at the opposite sides of partition 21 of the latter. It will also be clear that when the pump motor is driven in the opposite direction through operation of the switch button 56, the contents of pipesection 25 at opposite sides of its partition 21 will be transferred, at least in part, to pipe section 25 at opposite sides of its partition 28.

It is also true that when valve member 38 occupies the position shown in Fig. 7 and pump motor 45 is driven in one direction through operation of push-button 55, then the contents of those portionsof the interiors of pipe sections 25 and 26 which are at one side of the partitions 21 and.28, will, as indicated by the arrows, be transferred to those portions of the interiors of pipe sections 25 and 26 which are at the opposite sides of saidpartitions 2 1 and 28. It will also be clear that the transfer of said contents through the valve mechanism will be in the opposite direction when the motor 45 is driven in the opposite direction. r

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a multiplicity of elastic rubber balloons 58, 55, 60 and 6| are connected with the top side of the tubular frame of the device and. each balloon is fastened to the exterior of a tubular nipple 62 (Fig. 3) through which the interior of said balloon communicates with the interior of the portion of a pipe section to which it is connected. The balloons and tubular frame of the device are filled with helium gas and it will be clear that when the pump 45 is operated,- this gas is transferred, in part at least, from one or more groups of balloons to other balloons thus deflating the former and increasing the size of the latter. I

The tubular frame, together with the parts carried thereby, is supported in-the air at an-elevated position by reason of the buoyancy of the balloons while the controlling switches S and S, Figs. 2, 8 and 9, will be disposed upon, or in proximity to, the ground where they are accessible for operation, said switches being connected by circuit cables 63 and 64, respectively, with the apparatus which is anchored to the ground by a steel cable 65, Figs. 2 and 6, whose upper end is fastened to the lower end of the stem 39 (Fig. 6) of the above described valve mechanism.

The valve mechanism shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is disposed at approximately the center of buoyancy of the aerostat and when pump 43 is operated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction while valve member 38 occupies the position shown in Fig. 5, the helium gas will be shifted from one end of the tubular frame toward the opposite end thereof, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, with the result that the aerostat will be rocked in a direction approximately paralleling a vertical plane at right angles to the pipe sections 25 and 26.

When pump 43 is operated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction while valve member 38 occupies the position shown in Fig. 7, the helium gas will be transferred back and forth from one side to the other of the tubular frame so as to rock the latter in a direction approximately parallel with pipe sections 25 and 26.

It will therefore be clear that when the areostat is canted, as above described, in either direction its design is displayed to view over a greater territory than would be the case if the aerostat remains in a horizontal position.

To the under side of the tubular frame are secured a multiplicity of electric lamps 66, each of which is provided with a reflector 61. These electric lamps are all arranged in a circuit of which a part is shown at 68 in Fig. 3 and this circuit is also connected with a source of current which may be carried by the aerostat or which may be disposed upon the ground in which latter case the circuit 68 would be extended to the ground for connection with said source. A lamp 6B is provided beneath each balloon and collectively they are grouped to delineate the chosen design which in the present case is the word Air. The purpose of the lamps is to render the design visible at night and since a balloon is disposed opposite each lamp as shown said balloonsalso serve to delineate the design during daylight. V

The tubular frame of the aerostat is of approximately rectangular shape and the partitions are disposed within the same so as to divide the interior of the frame into four chambers, one at each corner thereof and when the gas is transferred by pump 43 from one pair of chambers to another pair the balloons communicating with the first-mentioned pair will be deflated and those communicating with the other pair will be distended and this will result in tilting the device as described. As further explaining this feature of the invention, I have shown in Fig. 4 a rectangular tubular frame that is interiorly divided by partitions 21', 28', l6, l8, l5 and 2| 6 into four chambers 69, 10, H and 12 connected by branch conduits 31, 36, 35' and 34', respectively, with a control valve 29' like that illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. When valve 29' occupies the position shown in Fig. 4 and the pump 43 carried thereby is operated in one direction, the contents of the two chambers 69 and 10 will be transferred in part to the chambers H and 12 as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, while reversal of pump 43 while valve 29 occupies this position will effect the transfer of gas from chambers H and 12 to chambers 69 and 10.

Rotative adjustment of valve 29 to the extent of from the position shown in Fig. 4 followed by operation of its pump 43 in one direction, will transfer gas from chambers 10 and H to chambers 69 and I2, while reversal of the pump 43 while the valve is in this position will transfer the gas from chambers 69 and 12 to chambers 10 and 1|.

In order to stabilize the aerostat and hold it against erratic movements while aloft in a wind, I provide at one end thereof a rudder or stabilizer 13 rigidly fixed to the frame of the device and made with a pair of oppositely disposed vanes that are parallel with the frame and. with a vertical vane that is perpendicular to the plane of the frame.

What I claim is:

An aerial display apparatus comprising an aerostat and a cable by means of which said aerostat is anchored to the ground, said aerostat comprising a rigid metallic tubular frame having sections thereof disposed to delineate letters; a plurality of balloons fastened to said frame and occupying positions above the latter, said balloons being filled with lighter-than-air gas and communicating with the interior of the frame which is also filled with lighter-than-air gas; a plurality of electric lamps fastened to the under side of said sections of the frame and also serving when illuminated to delineate said letters; a circuit for supplying electric current to said lamps, and a plurality of reflectors carried by said frame each of which is associated with one of said lamps so as to reflect downwardly light that radiates therefrom.

. ELLIOTT T. BELMONT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 580,586 Toomey Apr. 13, 1897 817,442 Page Apr. 10, 1906 970,262 Parseval Sept. 13, 1910 1,228,159 Ziperstein May 29, 1917 1,642,022 Groh Sept. 13, 1927 1,701,205 Glatzner Feb. 5, 1929 1,773,707 Shearer Aug. 19, 1930 1,917,978 Keener July 11, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 65,444 Switzerland Aug. 28, 1913 

